The Blacksmith's Arms is working hard to spread Christmas cheer

Not content with offering up free festive meals to the elderly, staff at the Blacksmith’s Arms in Grange Moor reached out to the Men’s Shed charity group and firefighters from Skelmanthorpe.

And the pub’s charity giving shows no signs of slowing down, with at least two more good causes lined up for support.

The Grange Moor eatery is hoping to provide a magical Christmas for two families with children battling cancer.

As part of the Blacksmith’s Arms Community Giveback 2016, which aims to raise £3,000, Christmas luncheons have already been provided to people in the Befriending Group, which seeks out and supports lonely and isolated elderly people, and firefighters from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue at Skelmanthorpe as a thank you for their work in the community.

Members of the Men’s Shed group - which supports men suffering from anxiety, depression and lack of confidence - will be the pub’s next guests.

A dozen guests and volunteers from the Befriending Group, which is run by Yorkshire Children’s Centre, tucked into a three-course meal with mince pies and sherry, had a game of bingo and were entertained by Grange Moor Choir.

And the 10 firefighters from Skelmanthorpe were stunned and delighted when their offer to pay for their meal was politely refused.

Sarah-Jane Turner, team leader at the Blacksmith’s, said managers Sarah and Mark Watson aim to keep building their charity support.

Their next project will be to raise a further £3,000 to provide a sprinkling of Christmas spirit for two local families with children battling cancer.

“It was absolutely lovely to see the Befriending Group having a good time,” says Sarah-Jane.

“We realised that most of them wouldn’t have much of a Christmas, so they were able to enjoy some festivities and a meal. They appreciated everything we put on. Everybody loved it.

“With the firefighters we just wanted them to put their feet up. They didn’t expect it to be free and were very grateful for the gesture.”

A chunk of the £3,000 target was raised last week through a sponsored ‘tinsel trek’ - a 14.2 mile slog from the Ruddy Duck in Wakefield to the Yorkshire Rose in Huddersfield.